Abstract Bananas are recognized as a key climacteric fruit crop in tropical regions, with their postharvest quality deteriorating rapidly. The present research was designed to investigate the effects of individual coatings of pectin, chitosan, and their composite (MIX, pectin+chitosan) on the ripening of banana fruit. Among all treatments, the MIX treatment exhibited the most potent effect in delaying fruit ripening, as it maintained higher fruit firmness, reduced weight loss, retarded color development, and alleviated oxidative stress as indicated by lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, compared with the other treatments, the MIX treatment reduced the activities of browning-related enzymes, such as peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), while enhancing the activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD). Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 25678 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under different treatment comparisons, with 316 core DEGs detected between the treated and control groups. These DEGs were primarily enriched in sucrose and starch metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, the MAPK signaling pathway, and phenylpropanoid synthesis. The gene expression associated with ROS metabolism and cell wall remodeling was dramatically changed in the MIX treatment during fruit ripening. In addition, the MIX group significantly altered the expression of transcription factors like MYB, WRKY, bHLH, and DOF, which could regulate the ripening process of bananas in response to chitosan and pectin. This study confirmed that the integrated application of pectin and chitosan can efficiently slow fruit ripening by regulating hormone signaling, maintaining cell wall integrity, and reducing oxidative stress, providing a theoretical basis for the development of efficient postharvest preservation strategies for banana fruit.
Rahman et al. (Thu,) studied this question.